Sethan, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Sethan Sky Domes
Four glass-fronted domes in the deodars above Manali, a stove in each, and the whole sky over the bed.
- Sunset
- 17:24
- Moonrise
- 07:43
- The moon
- new moon · 1%
- Sunrise
- 06:45
Desde ₹7,800 / noche 4.8/5 · 4 reviews
The domes
Each one faces somewhere different
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Sky dome
Orion
Faces west to the Dhauladhar. The bed is turned so you wake to the snow.
Faces west: the last light, then the stars setting.
Faces the range · telescope · sleeps 2
“We watched the Milky Way from bed and did not sleep until two. The stove kept the dome warm all night, even…”
₹7,800 / noche
This one -
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Sky dome
Vega
Furthest up the slope and facing north: the darkest sky of the four, turning round the pole star.
Faces north: the stars turn round the pole star all night.
Faces the ridge · 40 steps up · sleeps 2
“Vega is worth the forty steps. No light at all above it, and Tenzin brought the telescope up after dinner.”
₹7,800 / noche
This one -
Family dome
Cassiopeia
Faces south down the valley, the lights below the deck and the Milky Way above it, and a loft the children fight over.
Faces south: the Milky Way crosses its glass.
Faces the valley · bathtub · sleeps 4
“The children slept in the loft and we lay looking up. Kavya's rajma at the long table was the best meal of…”
₹10,500 / noche
This one
06:00 to 23:00
A day in the dome
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06:30
First light
The sun reaches the snow on the range before it reaches you. Watch it from bed.
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09:00
Breakfast in the house
Siddu with ghee, eggs, apple jam from Prini, and chai on the porch.
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11:00
Down through the village
Sethan's wooden houses, the apple trees and the temple, an hour there and back.
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17:30
The light goes
The valley turns blue, and the first lights come on in Manali below.
-
20:00
Dinner at the long table
Whatever Kavya cooked, a dham on Sundays, with everyone staying.
-
22:30
The stars
Stove lit, lights off, and the sky through the panels.
Los anfitriones
Sethan is the last village up the side valley above Prini, twelve kilometres and six hundred metres above Manali, where the road stops and the deodars start. We put the first dome on the slope behind Tenzin's family house in 2022 because the view from that slope at night was the best thing either of us had seen, and a roof would have hidden it. There are four now, each turned to face something different: the Dhauladhar, the forest, the valley lights, the ridge where the snow comes first. They are warm (a wood stove and a heated floor), and they are quiet. Dinner is in the house at a long table, and after it most guests go back to bed and lie there looking up.
Lo que aman los huéspedes
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We watched the Milky Way from bed and did not sleep until two. The stove kept the dome warm all night, even at minus four.
Asha K. · Pune -
Vega is worth the forty steps. No light at all above it, and Tenzin brought the telescope up after dinner.
Rohan and Ira · Mumbai -
Beautiful and very well thought out. The road up from Prini is narrow; let them collect you.
Lena M. · Hamburg -
The children slept in the loft and we lay looking up. Kavya's rajma at the long table was the best meal of the trip.
Siddharth P. · Delhi
Where you will be
Sethan
Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Sethan, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Sobre Sethan, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Sethan is the last village on the side valley that climbs east from Prini, twelve kilometres and six hundred metres above Manali, where the road ends in deodar forest. In winter it is one of the first places near Manali to hold snow, and in summer the Hamta valley trailhead is a short drive across the slope. Manali's Mall Road, the Hadimba temple and Old Manali are forty minutes down; Prini's wood-and-stone houses and the Atal Tunnel road are on the way.
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Cómo llegar 3 ways in
- Nearest airport
- Bhuntar (Kullu–Manali), 55 km, about an hour and three quarters.
- Nearest rail
- Chandigarh, then road.
- By road
- the overnight Volvo from Delhi reaches Manali bus stand; we collect you there in our own car.
The last six kilometres from Prini are a narrow hill road.
Aparcamiento
At the house, 50 m below the domes
When to come
- Oct–Mar
- The clearest skies, with snow from late December.
- Apr–Jun
- Warm days and cold nights.
Nearby
The Sethan forest walk
0 kmA two-hour loop through the deodars behind the domes, to a meadow with the whole range in front of it.
Hamta valley
9 kmThe start of the Hamta Pass trek, and a day walk to Chika for anyone not crossing.
Naggar Castle
32 kmThe old castle of the Kullu rajas above the Beas, with its verandah over the valley and the Roerich gallery up the road.
Manali and the Mall
14 kmCafés, Old Manali and the Hadimba temple, forty minutes down.
Arranged by us, run by people we know
Things to do
Run by local operators we work with. Ask us and we will arrange it for you — nothing is charged here.
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Snow scooter ride
Solang Snow Sports
Twenty minutes on a marked track with an instructor riding pillion. Boots and gloves provided.
If you cancel: Called off when there is not enough snow, at no charge.
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Beginner ski lesson
Solang Snow Sports
Half a day on the nursery slope. Skis, boots and poles included, instructor for up to four.
If you cancel: The instructor turns down other work for a booked morning.
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ATV on the valley track
Solang Snow Sports
Two circuits of the gravel track, helmet and briefing included. Minimum age sixteen.
If you cancel: Nothing owed if the guest cancels
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Motorcycle for the day
Himalayan Bike Hire
A 350 with helmets for two, fuelled and checked over. Licence shown at pickup.
If you cancel: Nothing owed if the guest cancels
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3 ways to spend your days
Paquetes y experiencias
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2 nights / 3 days
Two nights under the stars
₹17,500
Two nights in a sky dome, dinner and breakfast both days, and an hour at the telescope with Tenzin on a clear night.
- Dinner and breakfast
- Telescope hour
- Pickup from Manali
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5 nights
The snow week
₹39,000
Five nights in January or February, when the domes are white on top and the sky is at its clearest.
- All meals
- Snowshoes
- Bonfire every night
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Full day · per person
Hamta day walk
₹1,800
Up to Chika with a guide and back for dinner. Packed lunch from the kitchen.
- Guide
- Packed lunch
- Drive to Hamta
Servicios
Lo que puede usar durante su estancia
- Trekking
- Hot water
- Room heater
- Wi-Fi
- Restaurant
- Parking
- Mountain view
- Bonfire
- Power backup
- Airport / station pickup
- Agua caliente
- Round the clock, from the solar and the stove
- Aparcamiento
- At the house, 50 m below the domes
Bueno saber
Are the domes warm in winter?
Yes. Each has a wood stove, a heated floor and a duvet rated for minus ten. We light the stove before you come back from dinner.
Can we see the stars from the bed?
That is what the domes are for. The top panels are clear; there is a blind for the morning if you want to sleep in.
How do we get there?
The last six kilometres from Prini are a narrow hill road. We collect you from Manali in our own car at no charge.
Is there Wi-Fi?
In the house, yes. In the domes, deliberately not.
Normas de la casa
- No outside lights on the decks after nine, so the sky stays dark for everyone
- Stove doors closed when you leave the dome
- Quiet after ten; sound carries on the slope
- No smoking inside the domes
- Carry a valid photo ID
Sethan Sky Domes
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